Junior School News

Champions of sustainability 

Meet the SMC Junior School waste warriors leading the way in sustainability through peer education and hands-on initiatives. 

Emma Palmer, Neve Wright-Smith, Eleanor Broadhead, Gwen Szczerba and Laney Cowie (Year 6) are all members of the Junior School Green Team. These dedicated students have been leading informative sessions at assemblies, teaching younger students how to sort waste correctly into the appropriate bins. 

One of their standout projects was a soft plastics collection competition – well done to Year 1 Potoroos for taking out the win. 

Every Wednesday at recess, the Green Team takes on the role of 'Waste Warriors', patrolling the playground to collect FOGO scraps and soft plastics for recycling. 

Soft plastics are now being collected by Clarence City Council (at Glebe Hill Shopping Centre) and Hobart City Council (at McRobie's Gully Waste Management Centre). Once gathered, these materials are sent to one of Recycle Smart's vetted interstate recyclers, where they're transformed into plastic-derived oil for new products or used as an additive in asphalt. 

While recycling is a great step forward, it's important to think critically about what we’re purchasing in the first place. Plastics can take decades to break down, fragmenting into microplastics that harm wildlife and ecosystems. Unfortunately, the amount of soft plastic waste found in the College playground is concerning. Many students bring individually packaged snacks that are quickly discarded.

Let’s make smarter choices: When buying items like crisps or biscuits, consider opting for a larger bag or, even better, a cardboard box to reduce packaging waste. 

Here’s an example of a fantastic plastic-free lunchbox. 

Pictured below is what was collected during a single recess in just a small area of the Junior School. 

We know we can do better. Let’s work together to reduce our waste at SMC!

Wallabies in the veggie patch 

In true marsupial fashion, our Kinder Wallabies bounced back into school last week, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and ready to learn. After a busy day in the classroom, they couldn't wait to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty in the garden patch. 

Our Café Manager, Mr Phil Shanny, certainly had his work cut out for him after the break, so you can imagine his delight at having a team of energetic and enthusiastic helpers ready to give the garden some much-needed TLC. 

With gloves on, the Kinders got straight to work planting snow peas, spinach and fresh flowers, tackling towering weeds (some of which were taller than our students!) and uncovering wriggly worms, which they made sure to return to their home so our veggie garden can continue to thrive. Success on all fronts!